refugees

The South Carolina Republican Party primary has dominated the news cycle for the last couple of weeks. Lost in the brouhaha is a lawsuit filed by Walter Brian Bilbro, a self-described concerned citizen who opposes refugee resettlement into his state. Bilbro’s lawyer, Lauren Martel, filed the suit against Gov.

I almost blanched when my state’s governor, Susana Martinez, recently numbered among governors calling for no Syrian refugee admissions until the system can be fixed.

I shed many tears watching the refugees trudging, exhausted, across hundreds of miles, with tiny children and a few possessions in hand. The “reception” they received was often callous, sometimes hateful.

The situation was inexcusable in an era when massive human migrations are common, and the world should be prepared to quickly care for and shelter massive numbers of people.

Last week, eight Syrians turned themselves over to immigration officials at the U.S.-Mexico border – two men, two women and four children. One day earlier, five Pakistani aliens and one Afghani alien were apprehended at the Arizona border. The male Syrians were transferred to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Pearsall, Texas, while the women and children were sent to Dilley, Texas.

Despite the back and forth between President Obama and the growing numbers of Americans who want Syrian migrants resettled in regions close to their homes, it’s business as usual for refugee advocates. Apparently, any empty building could and should be converted into a refugee shelter.

President Obama chided his Congressional GOP opponents who want a pause in resettling Syrian and Iraqi refugees, and accused them of “being scared of widows and orphans.” Obama later compounded his insult when he said that Syrians are no greater a threat to Americans than the thousands of tourists that visit every year.

Pages

Californians for Population Stabilization (CAPS) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit membership organization that relies solely on donations. CAPS works to formulate and advance policies and programs designed to stabilize the population of California, the U.S. and the world at levels which will preserve the environment and a good quality of life for all.